Day: June 8, 2017

Let your child design and decorate their own card for their dad, or someone special in their life, for Father’s Day. Fold the paper in half for a traditional looking card or keep it big for a full page picture. Let you child pick the materials and decide how to decorate it.

Hold a spoon with one hand. Place the golf ball on the large part of the spoon and demonstrate to your little one how it can balance if you keep it steady. Now, show them what happens with you tip it. It falls off. Let them try balancing the golf ball while walking around. Too easy for your older toddler? Let them try holding the golf ball on a smaller spoon or between a large pair of tongs.

Fishing pole: Make a small hole in one end of the paper towel role. Then, to attach the pipe cleaner, stick about an inch through the hole, bend the pipe cleaner over and tape the piece inside of the towel roll. On the other end of the pipe cleaner attach a strong magnet, or glue the tip of the pipe cleaner between two magnets.

Fish: On construction paper draw about a 3-inch circle or oval then add a triangle to one side to make the tail of the fish. Cut it out and add an eye and a line for the mouth. On the back of the fish glue a magnet.

Set-up: Set the fish out, magnet side up, on the floor, on a table, or in a shallow plastic container. Then your child can sit nearby and “fish” with their magnet fishing pole. This is a problem solving activity so you might start by asking how they can pick up the fish with their new pole. Let them experiment some and see if it works to pick up a fish. This might require a little help from you if they aren’t catching any, but once they start to pull up fish they will be excited to catch more!

Collect items from around the house that will sink and float. If your child is older they can help you collect objects and you can talk about what you each think will happen. Once you have collected the objects fill a tub or container with water to test each of the objects. One by one let your child put them in. Be descriptive about what is happening and ask a lot of questions, especially to your older child. Remember, even if they aren’t answering doesn’t mean they aren’t learning!

Stuff to Have

-Various objects that will sink in water

-Various objects that will float in water

-Tub or large plastic container of water

Developing Skills

Early math, early science

Cooking & Baking

Daddy’s favorite treat

With your child, choose a treat to make with them for daddy (or other special father figure) for Father’s Day… I do believe we will be making caramel rice crispy treats!

Here are other developmentally important areas for activities!

Large Motor: Find ways to use the big muscle groups! Activities could include things like jumping, kicking or throwing a ball, dancing, twirling, running through a sprinkler, or other outside activities. With Father’s Day approaching also consider something like golfing with daddy. Use wrapping paper rolls cut to your child’s size and a small plastic ball like a ping pong ball or golf ball. Your child will enjoy this large motor activity with daddy (or mommy) while at the same time working on their hand-eye coordination.

Music and Rhymes: There are many online resources for music and rhymes. Right now I like to look for some that focus on summertime, dads (for Father’s Day), and playing outside.

Books: Take a trip to the library and look for books about summer as well as books that match your child’s interest. Read, read, and read some more! They will love it and it’s prime time to get some snuggles.